Tips for Reading

Informational Texts

Do you like learning about the world around you? One way to do that is to read informational texts! Informational texts tell facts about real people, animals, places, and events.

Use these tips to help you read informational texts:

• Before you read, think about what you would like to learn about the topic. The topic is what the text is about.
• As you read, think about what the author wants you to learn. What are the main ideas? What details support the main ideas?
• You don’t have to understand everything the first time you read it. Reread parts that are difficult to understand.
• Read all of the text features. Headings, captions, and labels have information that can help you understand the main ideas.
• Look carefully at visuals. Pictures and other kinds of images can give information that is not in the text.
• If you come to a word that you don’t know, look at the words around it for clues that help you understand its meaning. You can also use a dictionary to find the word’s meaning.
• Ask questions! Find the answers to your own questions. You can also talk about your questions with classmates or your teacher.
• Be curious! Reading informational texts can take you places you’ve never been and show you things you’ve never imagined. Get ready to make amazing discoveries!